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Custom databases and statistical analysis for management and research

DataStep Development specializes in data management, particularly in the areas of statistical analysis and the development of custom databases for data management and analysis. DataStep services included: data analysis, research and survey design, and development of custom applications. Our experience ranges from education to transportation to medical research. DataStep applications provide complete information management functions, from data entry and submission to customizable queries and reports. To ensure ease of use, we have developed drill-down queries that eliminate the need for users to be familiar with database structures or languages.

As part of our commitment to research, DataStep specializes in the management and analysis of research data, especially medical and educational research. Data management services include:

study design,

development of surveys,

distribution and collection of surveys,

development of on-site data entry applications for research,

automated data harvesting from remote data collection sites,

statistical analysis in SAS and SPSS, and

report-writing.

On-site data entry applications have included studies of cancer and infertility treatments, as well as intensive care admissions and mortality, among others. A wide range of medical data analysis projects has included studies of medication use, patient persistence and compliance with drug regimens, fertility techniques, risk-factor analysis, and medical instrument use. A current project involves data collection and analysis of intensive care patient outcomes in California hospitals.

DataStep staff have consulted on numerous medical research projects including:

economic analysis of treatments and medical resource use,

analysis of ICD-9 diagnosis data,

analysis of NHanes data,

analysis of HCFA data,

analysis of Saskatchewan Health data, and

development of on-site hospital and clinic data collection systems.

Current reseach projects include the Calico (California Intensive Care Outcomes) study in participation with the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the University of California San Francisco medical school, Institute for Health Policy Studies.

LOS2000 software is part of an overall, comprehensive approach to dealing with evaluating and maintaining roadways, roadside, and public facilities such as landscaping, rest areas, vista points, and park and ride lots. Using the approach of "lettting the highway speak for itself," LOS2000 provides a set of standards, data collection check sheets, and both standard and customizable reports for obtaining the most information from the data.

Using the LOS2000 software, users with no knowledge of programming or databases can easily query the data and create customized reports. The drill-down panels provide examples of the query methods. The idea behind these panels is that, rather than requiring users to understand the structure of the database, the database should present both its structure and its data. Thus, criteria such as roadway characteristics are displayed, along with the categories (for example, types of terrain) or minimum and maximum ranges (for example, elevation).

The LOS2000 software allows users to:

create and maintain a roadway inventory,

draw statistically representative samples,

distribute samples to remote data collectors,

enter data from roadway evaluations,

import data from remote evaluators,

create standard and customizable queries, and

print standard and customizable reports.

Most importantly, however, the LOS2000 approach provides a standard methodology using accepted techniques for evaluating roadway attributes and identifying needed repairs.

An information packet for LOS2000 is available, consisting of an overview, User Guide, and tutorials. To request a packet, send e-mail to info@datastep.com.

Click here for an on-line overview. This file is in Adobe Acrobat and can be saved to your computer's hard drive by clicking the image of the diskette in the Acrobat window. This is a ten-page file that may take some time to load. Please be patient.

Customizing LOS2000

Created originally for the California Department of Transportation, LOS2000 can be customized for organization or level of roadway maintenance, from states, cities, and counties to public parks and recreation districts. For more information about LOS2000, contact DataStep Development at 1-888-DATASTEP.

DataStep has a long history of educational research projects, including student and school performance reports, high school graduate follow-up studies, and large scale statistical analyses. One specialty is importing and creating custom reports for the State of California's annual student testing program  STAR.